Data centers are growing denser and more efficient, with more cores per processor, fewer servers per rack and a new rule of thumb: Hotter is better.

Data center density has increased at great speed over the past decade. Processors contain more cores, memory capacity is bigger and faster, Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) ports are plentiful, and high-capacity solid-state drives (SSDs) are here to stay. Those have all collided with excellent timing, the result being that data centers today are smaller and better-performing. They're also hotter, as IT teams have realized that servers don't need to be cooled to refrigerator-like temperatures.

Networking developments haven't kept pace with these other advancements, but that's mostly OK, according to podcast guest Steve Bigelow. 1 GbE has settled in as the standard, and new hardware offers more ports.

This podcast also covers other topics in this month's issue of Modern Infrastructure -- particularly those related to VMworld 2014. Mike Matchett dissects software-defined networking hype to get to the root of that buzzword, and Nick Martin takes a hard look at whom VMware is trying to reach at this show -- and whom it should be trying to reach. Hybrid cloud makes an appearance too, as Editor in Chief Alex Barrett discusses her story on VMware and AWS seemingly trying to play nice together.

Hybrid cloud computing will likely be one of the key topics at VMworld this year, as the company pushes to gain a foothold in that space. Converged or hyperconverged infrastructure may be on their agenda too, though MARVIN rumors remain only speculation for now.

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